Chapter One
"Do we call him Your Highness? No one has told us and I'm so nervous about meeting him."
Armande hesitated as he was about to knock on the half opened door. His visit had obviously rattled someone. He stopped and listened.
"There's no need to be, Jean. After all, he's only a mere mortal. Call him Fred. That should do." The voice in reply was soft and husky and full of laughter.
His interest grew and then, curiosity getting the better of him, he peered around the door. Two women were standing on either side of a large desk facing each other. One was short and plump and looked very young and the other was turned away from him but he noted her white laboratory coat and her hair drawn to the back of her head and covered with a hairnet.
Neither woman saw him as they continued their conversation. "Honestly Katie, I have never known such a fuss. The whole winery is in an uproar."
Katie bent over the desk and retrieved a file. "Well, I've just finished three months of night work and I'm exhausted. Prince or no prince I'm not lining up to meet him tomorrow. I intend to sleep in."
"It's okay for you," Jean responded. "You'll be tucked away in your cozy lab performing all of those weird tests. I'll be running around like crazy after His Royal Whatsit and our GM. Oh, I'm definitely nervous," she repeated.
Although feeling no compunction at eavesdropping nevertheless Armande decided it was time to make his presence known. He opened the door wide and stepped into the office.
"Forgive me, I couldn't help hearing," he excused himself. "Actually, I prefer to be called Armande rather than by my royal title," he continued, rather enjoying the impact he made as both women spun around to face him. He addressed Jean who was looking petrified. "Also ... there is no need to be nervous. I don't bite."
In trying to reassure her, he seemed to have exacerbated the situation as Jean stumbled away from the desk to fully face him and performed a number of odd little bob curtseys.
"Oh, welcome, Your ... Your ... I'm Jean Clarkson, the personal assistant to Mr. Petersen, the general ... general manager." She gulped as Armande took her outstretched hand and lifted it to his lips.
"Enchanted, Mademoiselle."
Now completely rattled, Jean turned to introduce her colleague but no sound came from her gaping mouth.
"I'm Katie Jones. I work in the R and D Lab ... sir."
Armande turned to Katie who had removed her rimless glasses and held out her hand to shake his. It felt small and firm and some intuition told him not to repeat his former greeting to Jean.
Instead, he raised dark eyebrows as he studied Katie Jones. It was her eyes which left him momentarily speechless. They were a vivid blue and watched him almost disinterestedly, something that Armande was definitely not used to. Her face was heart-shaped with flawless skin as white as milk and even though her hair was contained under the net, he could see it was a rich titian color. The lab coat was too big for her but didn't disguise her slender form. Her mouth was slightly too large for her face and her chin a little too pointed but God, she was beautiful!
Searching his photographic memory, he pictured the staff listing. Research and Development Laboratory. Ah, yes. "Doctor Jones. I'm delighted to meet you." He released her hand not missing the flicker of surprise in those dazzling eyes.
"You weren't expected until tomorrow ... sir."
Her voice was low and melodious. He smiled at her and was rewarded by the lowering of her long lashes--for a moment. Jean broke in, shattering the sensual vibes crackling between the other two.
"Your Highness, Mr. Petersen is in Adelaide today at a conference. He will be most upset that he wasn't here to greet you."
"It's Armande," he corrected pleasantly. "And it's not Brian's fault. I decided to come a day early."
Katie stepped back and picked up the file once again, holding it to her chest. "We were about to go home but perhaps we can get you a coffee ... or a glass of wine?" she offered.
Her attitude was all together too cool for his liking and he wondered what he had done to cause it. Besides being the owner of the winery where they were both employed and arriving at six o'clock in the evening a day earlier than expected. There was something disturbing about her. She was almost defiant.
He turned to Jean who was still looking stunned. "I have no wish to keep you. I'm sure you've had a busy day." His tone was deliberately dismissive but not unkind as he smiled at Jean and watched her hands flutter to her face as if to hide her fiery blush.
"However, I would like a quick look at the laboratory extension. Perhaps you would care to show me ... Katie?"
She didn't miss a beat and the only sign that she wasn't happy with this suggestion was a slight pursing of her lips. "Certainly, sir, if that's what you wish although I think Mr. Petersen and our lab manager had planned to show you around tomorrow."
Hmm. He was being put neatly into his place. Interesting.
"Besides, I'm sure you must be very jet-lagged," she continued, replacing her glasses and glancing down at the file she was holding. Anything rather than look at him, he noticed.
"Not at all. If I had just arrived from France maybe, but I've been in Sydney for two days on other business." And why am I explaining myself to you? The thought flashed through his mind as he studied her face. No make up. His fingers suddenly ached to feel the softness of her cheek. Then she turned to the other woman and he was treated to the vision of her perfect profile.
"You go home, Jean. I'll lock up," she said with a reassuring smile.
Jean hastily picked up her bag and, sidling around Armande, wished him a nice evening and was gone.
"She has a husband and a little baby waiting at home," Katie said as if excusing her colleague's departure.
"Really? She doesn't look old enough." He was genuinely surprised.
"Jean is twenty seven. She is very good at her work." He sensed that once again he was being put in his place. Intriguing.
"And how old are you, Katie Jones?"
"Twenty five."
"You're a microbiologist?"
"Yes."
"You are very young to qualify. Is this your first position?"
Armande leaned against the door and it clicked softly behind him. Her eyes widened but when she replied, her voice was still calm and held a strange aloofness.
"I have been an intern at a couple of the other major wineries. I've been at Beauvais for seven months ... sir."
"And I take it that you haven't got a husband and a baby waiting at home for you?"
The question shocked her from her carefully erected shield. But only for a few seconds. "No, but I do have some work to finish ... sir," she replied, a definite edge to her voice.
He moved away from the door and she took the opportunity of stepping forward and opening it. This brought her close to him, so close he could see the small pulse beating at the base of her throat. He drew in his breath.
"You seem to be having a problem with my name. It's not sir, its Armande, or even Fred would do."
His attempt at a joke failed as her eyes met his. He felt as if he had been punched in the solar plexus as he was consumed with the most powerful attack of lust.
He wanted her. Wanted to make love to her. Christ!
He studied her full bottom lip and wondered how sweet it would taste under his. How soft her neck would feel if he placed his mouth against that throbbing pulse. Armande rubbed a hand over his jaw. He was startled, to say the least. He hadn't expected to walk into his winery and feel this sudden desire to pull a strange woman into his arms.
"I'll show you through the lab now."
She was dismissing him again and it was beginning to rile him. As she went to go through the door ahead of him, he touched her arm.
"I don't think we are getting off to a very good start, Katie." May as well be open about it, he decided. "You don't appear to like me. I'm not aware that I have done anything to offend you."
She hesitated and then shook her head. "No, you haven't. I'm sorry."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I'm uncomfortable."
"Why? Because we are physically attracted to each other?"
This time he had shocked her and she blinked as soft color rose in her cheeks. Her reply was almost a whisper. "Yes."
Armande leaned more closely towards her, his eyes intent on hers which were wide and expressive, showing her uncertainty but, beneath that he could see the flare of excitement. Now he was on his home ground. He had flirted with many beautiful women and most times they were very self assured and quite able to handle his approach. Not this lovely lady. She was pretending to be unaware of the sexual tension that was zinging through the air between them ... until now. Time for some more shock tactics, Armande. "Don't be uncomfortable, Katie. Go with the flow. You must realize that we are destined to have an affair ... it's just a matter of when."
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